Page 37 of Saving Helena
As I caught my breath in the kitchen’s relative safety, Daisy approached me with a concerned expression. "Hey, Helena, are you okay?" she asked, her eyes flickering with worry. “Are you sick?”
I forced a smile, trying to push aside the fear that still lingered in the back of my mind. "Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, my voice shaky despite my attempts to sound casual. “I’m going to take my break, though, if that’s okay?”
“Sure, no problem. I can cover for you. Grab a sandwich from Vito.”
Deciding to take her up on that, I ordered a BLT and quickly called Open Road from the office phone. Unfortunately, I had to get rid of my cell before leaving Phoenix. That was a problem for another day, though. It was just after five in the morning, so the chances of someone picking up the phone were slim to none. I realized that I didn’t have a solitary phone number for Maddox. Fuck. Not even for Dimitri.
I stood against the wall of the Duck, savoring a Coke and a BLT that Vito had prepared for me, my eyes fixed on the horizon where the sunrise was about to break. The Duck, situated on the town’s main street but at its far end, offered a view of a small field where the sunrise could be seen.
Vito hadn’t been happy to hear that I had no cell phone. His face had creased into a frown, and he jabbed his spatula at me. “Your man think that’s okay?” I’d shrugged even though I knew that neither Maddox nor I had even thought about it, let alone thought it’d be a problem. We’d both had a lot on our plate. Honestly, the insistence that I come in today was probably not a good idea. If there was a girl that was going to get murdered in a horror movie, it was going to be me. Vito did say he’d watch the suits for me. Hopefully, they’d disappear by the time I finished my sandwich.
I was leaning into another bite of delicious bacon when the blow to my head came, sharp enough that I saw stars as I slid sideways towards the dirt, falling hard onto my knees. I didn’t even have a chance to scream.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Maddox
“Get your fucking keys,” Dimitri yelled as he blew open the door to my office. “Hurry up.”
Confused, I spun the chair, looking at him as he tore through the back counter, looking for my keys. He was panicked and flushed. I could count on one hand the times that Dimitri had exhibited such things. Shrugging into my jacket and grabbing my keys, I bore a hole in him as he paced.
“Well?”
Something bad happened. I knew it without a doubt. The sun was barely up, its rays just peeking over the horizon. I’d just finished some paperwork and been about to head to the diner. Helena wasn’t off until seven, but I figured I could have one of Vito’s omelets or some biscuits and gravy while waiting.
Standing, I tucked my Glock 9mm into my waistband. It was probably necessary for whatever came next.
Dimitri tore his hands through his hair and then, without warning, turned and threw a right hook straight into the wall, making the plaster fly. His chest heaved as he pulled his fist free, his knuckles split.
“Let’s fucking go,” he growled.
“You gonna tell me what happened?” I asked as I stomped behind him. “Is Helena okay?”
“Outside, I’ll tell you.”
I had no choice but to follow him, but the itch in my gut was already starting to creep as I walked behind him. It registered as we got to the bikes. The brothers were already assembled and waiting. Whatever this was, it was a club matter. Maybe Helena was okay then, but my throat was tight with nausea. Swinging my leg over my bike, I waited a beat.
“Alright, we’re here. Pony it up motherfucker. Stop playing around.”
“Someone snatched Helena,” Dimitri spit out. “Took her from the diner. There were some suits there. I figure we can start there.”
My blood ran cold, and my left hand was frozen on the clutch. I thought it would be like trouble with one of the gun runs. With the brothers assembled, I’d thought it’d be a club matter. Helena being taken?
“You can’t be serious right now.” But I knew he was just by looking at him. He was a combination of angry and scared all at the same time. “Are you sure?”
“No, I’m not sure. That’s why I woke you up. The server there. Daisy. The one with the pretty red hair. She called and said that’s what she thought happened.” Dimitri frowned as he climbed onto his bike. “Look, we need to talk to her and Vito there first. Then we can figure out where to go from there.”
The buzz had started, though, fuzzing my brain out. I could feel the weight of worry settling in my chest like a leaden anchor. I wasn’t sure how to handle the rage encompassing me, swallowing me whole. My stomach felt like it would come out through my throat whole.
The roar of engines filled the early morning air as we mounted our bikes and headed out of the Open Road’s parking lot. The familiar rumble of my Harley beneath me was a comforting presence, grounding me amidst the chaos of the situation, but the knowledge that I had no idea where Helena was clawed at me.
As we tore through the streets of Haverboro, my mind raced with thoughts of Helena's safety. The idea of her in Makarovich’s hands or the people he worked for filled me with fear. I would rip the world apart to get her back, setting it ablaze until she was back in my arms. There was no world without her, no sunshine.
The journey to the diner felt like an eternity, every second dragging on as we rode the few miles necessary. The streets were deserted at this early hour; the only sounds were the roar of our engines and the rush of wind whipping past us.
We pulled up outside the diner, the neon sign of the Duck casting an eerie glow over the deserted streets. I’d always liked the diner. It was a popular spot for the Brotherhood and a lucrative one for the MC, but right now, I only had a pit of dread that had formed in my stomach as we pulled up.
The diner was empty save for a few stragglers in the back booths and out-of-towners, but they looked over as we entered en masse. I wasted no time scanning the room, my eyes locking on Daisy behind the counter. She’d never been into our scene, which wasn’t bad. She was a town girl, and she needed the work. I’d been happy to have someone willing to take a management position at the little diner. She wasn’t one for questions, which suited us fine. Pale and shaken, her eyes were wide with fear as she spotted us.
